System, application and method of providing application programs continued access to frozen file systems

Abstract

A system, apparatus and method of allowing an application program continued access to a frozen file system are provided. An application program that requires continued access to a file system, even when the file system is frozen, may register with the system. Doing so allows the system to identify application program as one that needs continued access to the file system. Hence, the application program may continue to be provided access to the file system while all other application programs are prevented from accessing the file system.

1 . A method of providing an application program continued access to a frozen file system comprising the steps of: 
 identifying the application program; and    freezing the file system to prevent all other application programs from accessing the file system while providing the identified application program continued access to the file system.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the step of identifying the application program includes the step of enabling the application program to register with a storage manager.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  further including the step of putting the identified program in backup mode before allowing the program to continue to access the file system, the identified program entering data being written in the file system in a transactional log.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further including the step of determining, when a snapshot is being taken, whether the identified application program has indicated that its data is not to be part of the snapshot.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  wherein if the data of the identified application program is to be part of the snapshot, after the registered application program comes out of the backup mode, the data in the transactional log is entered in the snapshot.  
   
   
       6 . A computer program product on a computer readable medium for providing an application program continued access to a frozen file system comprising: 
 code means for identifying the application program; and    code means for freezing the file system to prevent all other application programs from accessing the file system while providing the identified application program continued access to the file system.    
   
   
       7 . The computer program product of  claim 6  wherein the code means for identifying the application program includes code means for enabling the application program to register with a storage manager.  
   
   
       8 . The computer program product of  claim 6  further including code means for putting the identified program in backup mode before allowing the program to continue to access the file system, the identified program entering data being written in the file system in a transactional log.  
   
   
       9 . The computer program product of  claim 8  further including code means for determining, when a snapshot is being taken, whether the identified application program has indicated that its data is not to be part of the snapshot.  
   
   
       10 . The computer program product of  claim 9  wherein if the data of the identified application program is to be part of the snapshot, after the registered application program comes out of the backup mode, the data in the transactional log is entered in the snapshot.  
   
   
       11 . An apparatus for providing an application program continued access to a frozen file system comprising: 
 means for identifying the application program; and    means for freezing the file system to prevent all other application programs from accessing the file system while providing the identified application program continued access to the file system.    
   
   
       12 . The apparatus of  claim 11  wherein the identifying means includes means for enabling the application program to register with a storage manager.  
   
   
       13 . The apparatus of  claim 11  further including means for putting the identified program in backup mode before allowing the program to continue to access the file system, the identified program entering data being written in the file system in a transactional log.  
   
   
       14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further including means for determining, when a snapshot is being taken, whether the identified application program has indicated that its data is not to be part of the snapshot.  
   
   
       15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  wherein if the data of the identified application program is to be part of the snapshot, after the registered application program comes out of the backup mode, the data in the transactional log is entered in the snapshot.  
   
   
       16 . A system for providing an application program continued access to a frozen file system comprising: 
 at least one storage device for storing code data; and    at least one processor for processing the code data to identify the application program, and to freeze the file system to prevent all other application programs from accessing the file system while providing the identified application program continued access to the file system.    
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the code data is further processed to enable the application program to register with a storage manager.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16  wherein the code data is further processed to put the identified program in backup mode before allowing the program to continue to access the file system, the identified program entering data being written in the file system in a transactional log.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 18  wherein the code data is further processed to determine, when a snapshot is being taken, whether the identified application program has indicated that its data is not to be part of the snapshot.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19  wherein if the data of the identified application program is to be part of the snapshot, after the registered application program comes out of the backup mode, the data in the transactional log is entered in the snapshot.